The Current Buzz Newspaper One 10 | Page 22

EXTRA BUZZ Tech Buzz: Warm Showers site becomes cross-country traveler’s triumph By Bill Edgar | Images Courtesy Warm Showers.org Maren Morris w/ Ryan Hurd Brady Theater Tulsa, OK Chase Rice Paradise Cove (River Spirit Casino) Tulsa, OK October 28, 2017 Steve Martin & Martin Short w/ the Steep Canyon Rangers Paradise Cove (River Spirit Casino) Tulsa, OK The Floozies Cain’s Ballroom Tulsa, OK B Chris Rice w/ Sam Griggs The Criterion OKC, OK John Fogerty Winstar Casino & Resort Thackerville, OK Andy Frasco & the U.N. George’s Majestic Lounge Fayetteville, AR A community for touring cyclists and hosts Over the summer, I spent over 30 days touring the American south from Oklahoma to Florida. I covered over 1,200 miles of back roads through mountains, swamps and beaches. It was an epic trip of a lifetime. A question I often get asked from people who hear that I took a 30-plus day road trip was “where did you stay?” I must admit it was a challenge to find lodging for such an extended amount of time. A month’s worth of hotel rooms can get pretty pricey, especially along the Gulf Coast. Amazingly I spent over 30 days on the road and my lodging budget did not exceed more than a couple hundred bucks. You might ask, “How did you swing that?” Well a combination of ways; for one, I packed camping gear and spent most of my trip jumping from state park to state park. I 22 | spent one night in a hotel which I shared with a traveler I met on Facebook, and I was hosted by strangers I contacted through a site called Warm Showers. Warm Showers? I agree it is a terrible name, but Warm Showers is an awesome hosting program for bike tourists. It works much like couch surfing or staying in a hostel. www.thecurrentbuzz.net They are the standard way of travel in Europe and are gaining in popularity in the states. I have to say I never had a negative experience through the program. And best of all it was absolutely free. Using a hosting site is definitely different and you never know what to expect. One night I spent in a room above a barn on a beautiful Boston Mountain farm, two nights in my hammock under a vacation home on the beach in Alabama. And one of my favorite hosts put me up in the cabin of a sailboat on Lake Dardanelle. If you like to travel, but don’t have a big budget, there are plenty of creative ways to find interesting places to stay. All it takes is a little research, an open mind, and a big sense of adventure. October 29, 2017 The Lacs: Deplorables Tour Big Smo, Saving Abel, Demun Jones, Shotgun Shane Cain’s Ballroom Tulsa, OK The Floozies Cain’s Ballroom Tulsa, OK Chicks with Hits: Terri Clark, Pam Tillis, Suzy Bogguss The Joint (Hard Rock Casino) Tulsa, OK October 30, 2017 Blues Traveler w/ Los Colognes Cain’s Ballroom Tulsa, OK Hippo Campus/ Remo Drive George’s Majestic Lounge Fayetteville, AR October 31, 2017 Third Eye Blind The Jones Assembly OKC, OK T